http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...83/big-ten-venues-ranked-according-difficulty
Over a two-week span, we're answering the following question for college basketball's 10 best conferences: Which venue in each conference is the toughest place to play? A number of factors, not just capacity and attendance, could affect a venue's place in the order. Where does your school fall?
Oh, sure, the 2015-16 season may have extended the Big Ten's national title drought to the better part of two decades, but it also extended a much less ignominious, and borderline mind-blowing streak: it was the 40th straight year the league led the nation in attendance.
If a difficult venue is a full venue, the Big Ten has more of both than most. Not that there aren't exceptions ...
14. Penn State Nittany Lions: Bryce Jordan Center, opened in 1995
Vote: Which Big Ten venue is the toughest place to play?
The Big Ten has some historic venues. Cast your vote for the toughest place to play.
Speaking of exceptions, here's one that proves the rule. The Bryce Jordan Center is a perfectly nice and relatively new arena that few people actually ever enter, at least for Penn State basketball games. In a gym that seats 15,000, the Nittany Lions averaged just 6,909 per game last season. "They have a dark gym," Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell said in March. "And it's a little quiet."
Fun fact: In 2011, the Nittany Lions were barred from practicing in their own gym for two straight weeks by famous rock artists/time lords Bon Jovi (Week 1) and a career fair (Week 2). Ouch.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers Athletic Center, opened in 1977
Basketball is an intimate sport, which is why a smallish arena can be its perfect setting. (See: Indoor Stadium, Cameron.) In the past, Rutgers' home gym, also known as the RAC, was exactly that. In this world, the Scarlet Knights have won three (!) Big Ten games in the past two seasons. They all came at the RAC.
Fun fact: One of those three wins came against back-to-back Final Four participant Wisconsin. (Frank Kaminsky was hurt, but still.)
12. Northwestern Wildcats: Welsh-Ryan Arena, opened in 1952
Nebraska Cornhuskers: Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013
Is this a tough place to play? It's too early to say. Pinnacle is basically brand new, and its first season (2013-14) was a rousing success. Nebraska went 19-13, lost just once at home and made the NCAA tournament for the first time in forever. The Cornhuskers have regressed in the two seasons since, though, which has made it hard to appraise, tough-venue-wise.
Fun fact: Pinnacle suite-goers can enjoy 10 sushi rolls, 12 pieces of nigiri and 12 pieces of sashimi for $204. And why not? Nebraska is famous for its sushi, right?
10. Ohio State Buckeyes: Value City Arena, opened in 1998
Argument in favor: Ohio State has had its best, most sustained period of basketball success since it moved to Value City Arena in 1998.
Argument against: Coach Thad Matta could probably win basketball games in a derelict Eastern European airplane hangar.
Argument in favor: In 2010-11, in a move rare among major college programs, and in the hopes of boosting atmosphere, OSU actually listened to its fans and relocated student seats behind team benches.
Argument against: Its official title is "Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center."
Fun fact: OSU designed its current home with an eye toward preempting Columbus' own pro-arena ambitions ... which is how a program that averaged fewer than 13,000 fans per game last season (which is a lot!) wound up in a 19,000-seat gym.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, opened in 1983
The Summit 12 hours earlier -- it can be downright dreary.
Fun fact: Carver's most unique feature is that it resides almost entirely underground, in a concrete bowl carved (sorry) out of the side of a hill, which earned its designers the prestigious American Institute of Architects Honors Award in 1984.
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Williams Arena, opened in 1928
The only reason Williams Arena isn't higher (er, lower) on this list is because it wasn't difficult to play Richard Pitino's teamanywhere in 2015-16. Despite that 8-23 (2-16 Big Ten) disaster, though, "The Barn" hosted an average of 11,000 Gopher die-hards per game; their raucous dedication was rewarded with a cathartic Feb. 18 upset of Maryland. It helps that The Barn is one of the nation's most historic sports venues, one so well-designed that it remains as fashionable now as at any point in the past 90 years.
Fun fact: The Minnesota Field House was built in 1928, the same year as Butler's famed Hinkle Fieldhouse. From 1928 until 1950, Hinkle was the biggest college hoops arena in the country; after a 1950 renovation (and a name change), Williams Arena became the largest -- a title it held until 1971. Good
Over a two-week span, we're answering the following question for college basketball's 10 best conferences: Which venue in each conference is the toughest place to play? A number of factors, not just capacity and attendance, could affect a venue's place in the order. Where does your school fall?
Oh, sure, the 2015-16 season may have extended the Big Ten's national title drought to the better part of two decades, but it also extended a much less ignominious, and borderline mind-blowing streak: it was the 40th straight year the league led the nation in attendance.
If a difficult venue is a full venue, the Big Ten has more of both than most. Not that there aren't exceptions ...
14. Penn State Nittany Lions: Bryce Jordan Center, opened in 1995
Vote: Which Big Ten venue is the toughest place to play?
The Big Ten has some historic venues. Cast your vote for the toughest place to play.
Speaking of exceptions, here's one that proves the rule. The Bryce Jordan Center is a perfectly nice and relatively new arena that few people actually ever enter, at least for Penn State basketball games. In a gym that seats 15,000, the Nittany Lions averaged just 6,909 per game last season. "They have a dark gym," Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell said in March. "And it's a little quiet."
Fun fact: In 2011, the Nittany Lions were barred from practicing in their own gym for two straight weeks by famous rock artists/time lords Bon Jovi (Week 1) and a career fair (Week 2). Ouch.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers Athletic Center, opened in 1977
Basketball is an intimate sport, which is why a smallish arena can be its perfect setting. (See: Indoor Stadium, Cameron.) In the past, Rutgers' home gym, also known as the RAC, was exactly that. In this world, the Scarlet Knights have won three (!) Big Ten games in the past two seasons. They all came at the RAC.
Fun fact: One of those three wins came against back-to-back Final Four participant Wisconsin. (Frank Kaminsky was hurt, but still.)
12. Northwestern Wildcats: Welsh-Ryan Arena, opened in 1952
Nebraska Cornhuskers: Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013
Is this a tough place to play? It's too early to say. Pinnacle is basically brand new, and its first season (2013-14) was a rousing success. Nebraska went 19-13, lost just once at home and made the NCAA tournament for the first time in forever. The Cornhuskers have regressed in the two seasons since, though, which has made it hard to appraise, tough-venue-wise.
Fun fact: Pinnacle suite-goers can enjoy 10 sushi rolls, 12 pieces of nigiri and 12 pieces of sashimi for $204. And why not? Nebraska is famous for its sushi, right?
10. Ohio State Buckeyes: Value City Arena, opened in 1998
Argument in favor: Ohio State has had its best, most sustained period of basketball success since it moved to Value City Arena in 1998.
Argument against: Coach Thad Matta could probably win basketball games in a derelict Eastern European airplane hangar.
Argument in favor: In 2010-11, in a move rare among major college programs, and in the hopes of boosting atmosphere, OSU actually listened to its fans and relocated student seats behind team benches.
Argument against: Its official title is "Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center."
Fun fact: OSU designed its current home with an eye toward preempting Columbus' own pro-arena ambitions ... which is how a program that averaged fewer than 13,000 fans per game last season (which is a lot!) wound up in a 19,000-seat gym.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, opened in 1983
The Summit 12 hours earlier -- it can be downright dreary.
Fun fact: Carver's most unique feature is that it resides almost entirely underground, in a concrete bowl carved (sorry) out of the side of a hill, which earned its designers the prestigious American Institute of Architects Honors Award in 1984.
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Williams Arena, opened in 1928
The only reason Williams Arena isn't higher (er, lower) on this list is because it wasn't difficult to play Richard Pitino's teamanywhere in 2015-16. Despite that 8-23 (2-16 Big Ten) disaster, though, "The Barn" hosted an average of 11,000 Gopher die-hards per game; their raucous dedication was rewarded with a cathartic Feb. 18 upset of Maryland. It helps that The Barn is one of the nation's most historic sports venues, one so well-designed that it remains as fashionable now as at any point in the past 90 years.
Fun fact: The Minnesota Field House was built in 1928, the same year as Butler's famed Hinkle Fieldhouse. From 1928 until 1950, Hinkle was the biggest college hoops arena in the country; after a 1950 renovation (and a name change), Williams Arena became the largest -- a title it held until 1971. Good
